Rao, Help The Mister Who Comes Between Me and My Sister
by Little Writer Babe
Summary: Of course, Agent Alex Danvers first week back in the DEO after her abduction would culminate with a full-scale alien invasion! When J'onn is injured in the initial battle, Alex finds herself officially off "desk-duty" and at the helm of the DEO as Acting Director. Can Alex hold it together long enough to save the world? It's just another day at the DEO for the badass brunette!
1. Director Danvers

**Author's Note: Just a few weeks after she nearly lost her life protecting her sister, Agent Alex Danvers is once again put in an impossible situation. Torn between family and duty, her decision could decide the fate of the world as we know it!**

* * *

"Danvers I need you!"

Those four words were enough to make Alex blood run cold. She was pacing the DEO command center quite nearly on the verge of a panic attack because J'onn was down, another father possibly lost, and Kara was panicked and the whole city was covered in alien invaders, and the love of her life needed her and there was NOTHING the agent could do for her.

"Maggie! What's going on?"

"The NCPD is under attack!"

"Hold on, okay! Promise me you'll hold on."

The line went dead before Maggie could respond. Alex didn't get a chance to truly process what that might mean because Daxamite soldiers materialized right in front of her, intent on subduing the active director or killing her if they must! On instinct she dropped the first solider she saw with a center mass shot from her favorite sidearm.

"Everyone evacuate! Now! Go, go, go!"

Energy blasts were rapidly destroying the area around her and she knew there wouldn't be much left of the DEO by the end of this. They needed Kara. _She_ needed Kara because Alex was far from ready for this and already her breathing was ragged and labored.

 _Hold it together Danvers! You are the Acting Director of the DEO and you damn well better act like it!_ She chastised herself, taking a quick moment to focus on her breathing.

She couldn't fight if she couldn't breathe and she couldn't protect her people if she didn't fight. Turning her head, she spotted Winn making his way to the evacuation point, tablet cradled to his chest. Several Daxamite soldiers were tracking his progress. He wasn't going to make it. Not without a distraction. Alex made her decision as she tapped her comm.

"Supergirl we need you! The DEO is under attack! I'm evacuating the facility now!"

"I'm on my way! " Came her sister's panicked response. "Meet you outside!"

Alex barely processed Kara's words as she was already in motion. She fired on one solider before sliding on her knees past another. Taking the stairs to the balcony two at a time, she barreled towards an uncertain landing. When she leapt from the balcony, she turned midair, taking down two more invaders with precision accuracy before she was falling. _Too fast_ , too far and for a split second she doubted Kara's speed. She closed her eyes, bracing for the inevitable impact when a strong arm wrapped around her waist and she was swooping upwards.

"Just couldn't wait for me, could you?" Kara huffed indignantly; relieved she had been fast enough to rescue her reckless sibling. "Let's get somewhere safe."

Alex didn't respond, just focused on controlling her breathing because she really didn't think throwing up and passing out would be good for her badass image.

* * *

"J'onn?"

Alex couldn't control the tremor in her voice as she approached the makeshift medical bed the Martian lay upon. His breathing was labored and his green skin shown sickly with sweat. Every so often he would murmur names; _hers_ , Kara's, even Maggie's and she _knew_ what kind of nightmare J'onn was trapped in. They were hurting them, his _children_ , right before his eyes, just like they had on Mars.

 _Hang on J'onn! We need you. I need you!_

She still couldn't believe the state her mentor was in. He had always seemed so strong, so formidable and yet he had been felled by something so _small_. Distantly she wondered if he had felt this helpless when she was raging with fever, unconscious and in pain. Kneeling by his bedside, his hand limp in hers, Alex contemplated their next move. They were outgunned and outnumbered.

The DEO was completely overrun, as was National City. She glanced around the abandoned bar at the few dozen agents she had managed to locate and grimaced. She was used to operating in tough situations but _this_? This was like nothing she had ever trained for and J'onn was in no condition to offer advice. The sound of the door opening drew her attention and she looked up to see James rushing through, his Guardian armor already scorched in several places from drawing Daxamite fire.

"James!" Kara exclaimed, rushing to hug him. Alex found she could use a little comfort too and accepted his warm embrace as well.

"Any word from Clark?" He asked, hesitation in his voice.

"No," Kara shook her head in disappointment. "Hopefully he's out there already fighting."

"If he was, I didn't see him."

Alex head snapped up as she heard a familiar voice from the doorway. She was running before she knew it, didn't register the movement until she had cupped the other woman's face and their lips met.

"Maggie..." she breathed, foreheads pressed together. "I was _so worried_."

"Me too, Danvers. _Me too_." The other woman responded with a watery smile. "Are you okay?"

Alex knew why she had asked. Just this morning she was still on "desk duty", still traumatized, still recovering and now she was commanding what could literally be the worst possible situation for her to return to the field.

"I'm okay." She assured her, trying to dissuade the worry written all over Maggie's face. Kara scoffed behind her.

"Yeah, you should have seen her a few hours ago!" Recalling her sister's swan dive off the DEO tower.

Alex shot Kara a withering look and the superhero mimed zipping her lips shut before wandering away to converse with Winn and James. Maggie stared at her quizzically but she quickly waved it off. She needed Maggie focused on the problem at hand, her recovery could wait until the world at large was no longer in danger.

"I'm okay." She repeated, gently tucking a lock of hair behind her girlfriend's ear. "If that changes, you'll be the first to know."

"I better be." Maggie replied softly as she covered Alex's hand with her own.

"I was coming for you." Alex stated fiercely, needing to reassure the other woman that her safety was the first thing that came to mind.

"I know." Maggie replied without hesitation. "It just so happened that James was in the mood for a drink too and here we are!"

Maggie smirked and she joked but Alex could see the pain in her eyes, the _worry_. Worry that she couldn't make it to Alex, worry that Alex would be killed trying to get to her, worry that she'd saved Alex just a few weeks before only to lose her more suddenly and more violently. Alex felt it too, all of it, and when her eyes met Maggie's again she found the love and strength she needed to carry on. The agent allowed herself one more quiet moment with her girlfriend before her features hardened. She turned to address the room when another familiar but unwelcome voice cut in.

"Good to see you all made it out alive. I need your help."

Alex had her gun aimed at Lillian Luthor's chest before the woman's words even registered. Her vision was a field of red and all she could see was the woman who had ripped apart her family, tortured her sister and made her father unrecognizable. She would have pulled the trigger had a smaller, slightly calloused hand not wrapped around hers.

 _Maggie_.

The grip grounded her for a moment and she realized then that the entire group was backing her up, weapons drawn and gazes wary. Maggie tugged at her gently and she backed up, just a step, just enough to avoid spraying herself with gory bits of the woman lest she lose control. The detective tugged again and Alex lowered her gun a fraction more. She absently wondered how the smaller woman could have such a profound effect on her and she filed that inquiry away for later introspection.

"What do you want, Luthor?" Kara stepped in front of her sister and Alex felt a brief moment of panic because the Luthor's _never_ played fair and the older woman had used kryptonite to hurt her sister before. She tried to reverse their positions but the grip on her wrist tightened and she glanced over her shoulder to see Maggie shaking her head imperceptibly.

"We have a common enemy, Supergirl. _Everything_ I warned you about has come to pass and now our city and our _families_ are caught in the crossfire."

"Get out!" Alex growled and she felt Maggie tense behind her in anticipation of holding her back. Kara, too, adjusted her position to keep Alex away from the woman.

"Don't be blinded by your hatred, Agent Danvers." The woman chastised her and oh, was Alex seething at that.

"Where's my father?" She demanded as Maggie's hand moved from her wrist to her bicep, gripping tighter and Kara laid a gentle but firm hand on her chest reminding her to stay in control.

"I don't know." Luthor replied nonchalantly. "He's hardly important right now. We _need_ each other. I want my daughter back and you want to keep this city safe."

Alex took a moment to focus on her breathing, the weight of her sister's hand against her chest, Maggie at her back. She allowed the two women to ground her before she addressed her enemy again.

"We don't need your help to save the city." She spat out as she pushed past the older woman and walked away. Maggie followed her hastily, both women missing the exchange between Lillian and Kara, an exchange that would deeply impact their decisions in the near future.

* * *

Four hours later, Alex found herself in the exact position in which she hadn't wanted to be. She'd been given her orders, she was supposed to destroy the ship whether Lena and Mon-El could be rescued or not. She had to admit she felt guilty about Lena, knew the woman had been a good friend to Kara, but Mon-El? Not so much. Kara had been reasonably upset with her, not understanding the demands placed upon a solider, a _leader_. That's who Alex was now, who J'onn trained her to be, who the people of National City _needed_ her to be. Still, she couldn't shake her little sisters pleading words.

" _What if it was Maggie? Would you still fire?"_

Kara's words stung, brought unbidden tears to Alex eyes, because as much as she _loved_ Maggie, she was a solider _first_. And that meant following orders, making the hard choices, pushing your personal feelings to the side. She knew what J'onn would say, knew what he would do. He would destroy the ship, for the greater good. And she told Kara as much.

That knowledge hadn't sat well with the younger Danvers, had sent her seeking advice not from her big sister, because Alex was deep in "director mode", but to the one other woman whose advice she had so coveted over the years, Cat Grant. It made Alex a little jealous that Kara turned to someone else and definitely more than a little angry because now she was forced to work with Cadmus. With Lillian Luthor.

To strategize with the same woman who would tear her limb from limb in the name of "science" and put a kryptonite bullet in her sister's head the first chance she got. Alex wouldn't let that happen, and she made sure Luthor knew it, ensured that the woman understood returning without Kara was tantamount to suicide. Because Alex Danvers _would_ kill her; slowly, without regret, if _anything_ happened to her sister on the older woman's watch.

 _The enemy of my enemy..._

She kept reminding herself that, loathe to ever finish the adage and call Lillian Luthor her "friend". J'onn would see the collaboration for what it was, an _opportunity_. To save everyone, to save the people her little sister loved, to remove the hurt and judgment from her sister's eyes every time they met since she received the order. Yes, she would work with the murderous scientist but she would not do so without taking precautions. Lillian Luthor was a viper and Alex was not foolish enough to expect to handle her without the threat of being bitten.

She pulled Winn to the side and relayed her commands, casually, without the authoritative tenor in her voice because she wanted their "guests" to believe it was a simple conversation between the faux-siblings; Winn wishing her luck and she doing likewise. She squeezed his arm knowingly and walked away to speak to her sister, to hold her for what could very well be the last time.

"Be fast." She whispered to her sister, on the verge of tears." I mean, I know you're fast, but you need to be _faster_ this time. Faster than _me_."

"I will." Kara promised, her voice sounding broken too. "Faster than a speeding bullet."

The sisters reluctantly pulled apart and Alex felt her heart splinter with every step Kara took towards the door, towards uncertainty, towards destruction if she couldn't accomplish her task before Alex. In that moment, the eldest Danvers knew she couldn't do it alone, knew there was only one person she could rely on when she was feeling this weak, this unsure. She raised the Walkie-talkie to her mouth and spoke the one name that could ground her.

" _Sawyer_. Get your ass back here, NOW."

* * *

Alex felt as if her whole world was crumbling before her very eyes, her entire existence, as the voice that came over the radio was decidedly _not_ her sisters. It was Mon-El who informed her that they had been double-crossed, something she had expected all along. Planned for, in fact. But Kara staying behind? Mon-El abandoning her like the spineless coward she had suspected he was? That she could _never_ have predicted.

"Agent Danvers, are you in position?"

She turned to Maggie, eyes panicked. Maggie shook her head wordlessly, mirroring her panic.

 _Kara, Kara, Kara..._

Her sister's name was all she knew. Her face, her smile, the strong arms that were just wrapped around mere hours ago. The president's annoyed voice rang in her ears, urging her to shoot, destroy the ship, casualties be damned.

 _Kara_ _be_ _damned_.

She couldn't. They needed more time, she told her leader as much. "Ma'am! Supergirl is _still_ up there! I need more time!"

"There is _none_ , agent! Do it now! That's an order!"

Alex trembled as her hand hovered above the button. Just a few weeks before she had insisted her sister leave her to die; let her die in the place of aiding a greater evil. But Alex found that she couldn't do what she had urged Kara to. When it was her sister's life on the line, Alex couldn't put anyone above Kara, wouldn't condemn her sister for the sake of strangers.

For the sake of _orders_.

It was almost a relief when the canon exploded, when the choice was no longer hers because she _knew_ she would have picked Kara. Would have disobeyed a direct order, would have let the world burn to save her sister. And Maggie would have stood by her side, was standing by her side, holding her close as trembled with the realization of the horrors to come.

 _What have I done?_


	2. Losses and Gains

" _Agent Danvers, you've doomed us all_!" The voice in her ear hissed just moments after the positron cannon was blown clean off the roof of the DEO.

Alex snatched the comm from her ear and threw it down, grinding it under the heel of her boot. She would never hurt her sister, no matter the orders, no matter the source. Maggie was watching her with wide eyes, waiting patiently for her girlfriend to decide their next move. While the detective had a good deal of crisis training, "total world domination" had _not_ been covered, so she deferred to Alex in this instance. After all, her girlfriend had dealt with several world-ending scenarios and come out the other side.

"What do we do now?" she asked, turning her head slightly at a commotion just outside the door. They were likely to be discovered at any moment.

Alex startled at the question, still focused on her possible court-martial ... _if_ she survived. At first she looked unsure, still shaken by the loss of the canon, but then her features set into what Kara liked to call "Agent Alex Mode" and she answered Maggie with authority.

"Kara is still up there. The only way we get _her_ back is if we take back _my_ facility."

" _Your_ facility?" Maggie asked, relieved that Alex was settling back into her badass self.

"Yeah, _mine_." Alex confirmed with a nod. "I'm still Acting Director unless the President wants to wade through a warzone and relieve me of duty personally."

"Ride or Die, baby." Maggie just smiled in response, cocking her gun. "Ride or die."

* * *

The DEO was steeped in complete and utter chaos but none of that mattered to the two women stubbornly fighting their way up from the lower-levels of the building. Alex and Maggie wove through debris and fallen Daxamites, not paying any mind to the destruction as they made a beeline for the command center. Kara was stuck on that ship, and canon or not, Alex was determined to get her back.

"Alex, Maggie! Oh, thank god!" Winn exclaimed, gripping his two older sisters tightly.

Under normal circumstances, Alex would have smacked the back of his head for being so soft but she was too relieved at the moment to be upset. Before Alex could demand a status update, the main monitor lit up like a Christmas tree, setting off warning sirens throughout the building!

"Winn! What the hell is going on?"

The tech genius swiped some debris off the main console and began typing furiously, trying desperately to locate the source of the disturbance.

"Holy crap! I have two kryptonian signatures tearing up downtown National City!"

"I'm going out there." Alex grabbed a headset and a discarded Daxamite rifle and headed for the door. "Winn you're in charge!"

"What? Me? I can't be authoritative!"

"Just feed me their location and try not to destroy my base worse than it already is!"

She turned to tell Maggie to stay with Winn, protect the base, but her girlfriend was one step ahead of her.

"I'm not sending you out there alone, Danvers. Schott, don't break anything while we're gone."

* * *

Alex couldn't believe the scene that played out before her. She had slammed the SUV to a stop, rifle locked and loaded to find that the two beings destroying her city were none other than her sister and their cousin, Kal-El.

But that wasn't even the _worst_ of it.

The worst part was that Kara was _severely_ out-muscled. She _had_ to do something to even the odds, give her sister a fighting chance, so she raised her gun, set it to the maximum and charged forward hoping to get off a clean shot and praying Maggie wouldn't be foolish enough to follow her.

The fight kept bringing the dueling supers closer and when they crashed into a water-feature a few yards away from her, Alex finally had her shot. But as she lined up the sight, eyes fixed firmly on her cousin's back; she found she couldn't do it.

Horrifying images assaulted the agent all at once.

Astra sliding limply off her kryptonite sword.

The look on Kara's face when she realized what her sister had done, what she had taken from her.

She couldn't do this, couldn't take another member of Kara's family, her _home_. Unfortunately, that was the moment Kal noticed her.

 **"YOU!"** He bellowed and Alex didn't know what had happened to him or whom he was picturing but she knew her hesitation had cost her.

"Kal, _listen to me_ ," she tried to reason with him though she kept her gun aimed at his heart, her eyes darting to Kara struggling to rise behind him. "You don't want to do this. You don't want to hurt me or Kara."

He stared at her with such pure hatred that Alex knew she was done for, she just hoped her distraction had bought her sister enough time. She distantly registered that Maggie was screaming her name in terror as Kal roared, preparing to end her without a moment's hesitation.

Alex braced for an impact that never came.

She opened her eyes to see Kara swaying before her, arm extended in a near-perfect haymaker. Alex had taught her that move and she couldn't have been any happier that Kara chose to use it at that moment. Kal's limp body flew high into the air before it crashed down, sending a tidal wave of water over both sisters. As she cleared the water from her eyes, Alex noted that Kara was swaying more heavily than before. She was just able to get her arms around her little sister when Kara collapsed against her.

"It's okay. I got you. I got you." She whispered over and over again as she cradled her sister's limp form, the battle for the planet raging all around them.

* * *

Cold. Why was it so damn cold?! She understood that this was the Fortress of Solitude but why did it have to be in the Arctic?

Alex paced ceaselessly as she waited for Kara to wake up. Her sister had not stirred, not so much as twitched since she had flown the trio here and the agent was growing worried that the young hero had seriously overextended herself. As soon as they had arrived, Kara insisted on helping her get Kal onto an icy slab to heal and had immediately collapsed after.

Fortunately, the elder Danvers was used to picking her super-sister up and carrying her around, so she was able to get Kara onto her own slab fairly easily. But that had been _hours_ ago and she knew the fight was still raging back home.

"C'mon Kara." Alex wasn't sure if her sister could even hear her, the readings on an icy monitor nearby were in a kryptonian dialect she wasn't familiar with and it was maddening that _this_ was the time when her linguistic skills failed her. The agent had explored the fortress some, finding a plethora of other panels throughout but, she refrained from touching anything.

"Ow," was the first thing Kara uttered when she awoke on a very uncomfortable slab of ice that did nothing for her aching body.

Alex thought she had never heard a more beautiful sound as she quickly rushed to her sister's side. She was immensely relieved Kara had finally awoken because she and Kal had been out for some time and there was no cell service in the Fortress of Solitude, no way to communicate to anyone back home what was happening. She also hadn't been sure exactly what the icy structure was doing to her sister and cousin, so it was best if she left things alone.

"Easy," she told Kara as she gently helped the younger sit up. "How are you feeling?"

"A little like I got punched by Superman. Like a _thousand_ times," Kara grumbled, gratefully taking the arm her sister offered as she slid from the icy slab. "Rao, Alex that was so stupid of you."

"I knew you'd come through. Nice haymaker, by the way." Alex deadpanned while Kara shook her head in disbelief.

The young hero pulled Alex into a relieved embrace, thankful that she hadn't imagined saving her sister from the burning gaze of their super powered cousin. They enjoyed the quiet moment before a masculine groan filled the space.

"Kal!" Kara exclaimed rushing to his side.

He had woken up and Kara had lit up like the moon.

Like he hadn't just beat her within an inch of her life, hadn't destroyed half their city and nearly vaporized her sister. Alex clenched her teeth and stilled her jealousy because now was _not_ the time and Kara had forgiven her for many things for which she hadn't forgiven herself.

As soon as Kal touched the monitor nearest to them, all the coded script began to make sense and Alex kicked herself for not having thought about using his palm print to gain access. She realized that she wasn't performing to the best of her ability right now, knew why with all that had transpired, but she also knew she had to be better. The fate of the world was in their hands and she would not fail, would not let her human weakness destroy their chances of success.

Kara and Kal were discussing some kind of ancient rite that could end the invasion, a challenge from what she could surmise, glancing at the display. The details were murky and she noticed her sister was avoiding her eyes, which meant it was _not_ a solution Alex would approve of.

She found out a few hours later how right she was.

* * *

A fight to the _death_.

 _That_ was what her sister had agreed to. Alex almost laughed at the irony.

 _Almost._

The _only_ reason this war was still raging was because _she_ had hesitated to strike, tried to buy Kara more time, and now her sister was practically offering herself up. She had no doubts Rhea would find a way to double cross them, knew she would never truly honor the agreement. She tried to reason with her sister, pleaded and begged, and then she grew angry.

Why wasn't Kal going out there and risking _his_ life? Just because this wasn't his city, these people didn't matter? _Kara_ didn't matter?

"Alex, I love you. If this doesn't work, if I don't _win_..."

"Kara..."

"You _run_. Okay? Get out of the city. Take Maggie and Winn and whoever else you can find and _go_." Alex had stared at her sister in disbelief.

"Go _where_ , Kara? You're going to _succeed_ or we will all die fighting. No one here is going to run, especially not _me_."

"Go get 'em, Little Danvers." Maggie told her softly as Kara spun to leave.

The detective moved to wrap an arm around Alex as they watched Kara go when the agent wrenched away from her. In the back of her mind, Alex realized she might have hurt the other woman's feelings but all her focus was on one person at the moment. She ran towards her sister's retreating form.

"KARA!" She stopped and Alex collided with her back, wrapping her arms tightly around the girl's shoulders, nuzzling her sister's hair. "I love you. I love you so much and I believe in you. Come back, okay? _Please_. I can't do this without you."

Kara nodded, wrapping her hands around Alex forearms, taking a moment to draw upon her sister's strength. "I love you, too. I'm coming back, I _promise_." She gave her sister's arms one last squeeze before stepping out of her embrace towards the balcony.

Alex ached to follow her but stayed put, knowing her sister's resolve would crumble if they said anymore to one another. Kara _had_ to go; she knew that but the knowledge didn't make it any easier.

"I've got her back, Alex." Mon-El told her solemnly as he passed. Alex scowled at his words remembering how he had abandoned Kara just hours before.

"See that you do." She told him fiercely before shoving by him, bumping his shoulder with her own. "Or don't come back."

* * *

It was _over_ ; they had _won_.

But they had also _lost_ ; too much in Alex's opinion.

She stepped onto the balcony towards her sister, slumped over and crying against the railing. Her heart broke at the sight of it. Her Kara, her sunshine, dimmed and diminished with a hurt that Alex was powerless to take away. She leaned against the other side and regarded her sibling.

"Earlier this year, I was... _broken_ ," she began, glancing at her sister nervously. "But you, you forced your way into my home, wrapped your arms around me and told me 'I'm proud of you'. It didn't make me feel better at the time, but it was something to hold on to."

She pushed away from the railing and moved closer to her sister before she spoke again, softly because Kara was fragile and Kara was breaking and she would do _anything_ in her power to hold her together.

"I'm so _very_ proud of you." Kara turned watery eyes towards her. "What do you need?"

"Just hold on to her, okay? Don't ever let her go."

"Okay. I promise." She replied but wrapped a hand tightly around her sister's wrist. "But I'm not letting you go either."

Kara whimpered as she tried to pull away because if she stayed, if she stayed she would break. But Alex was strong, she was persistent and Kara was weak and wanted so badly to be held so she let her, let her sister hold her as she wept and sobbed and wailed. Rubble dug into both their knees as they fell to the ground but neither woman noticed.

Alex rocked her, soothed the burning ache as best she could. There was no love lost between she and Mon-El but he head meant something to Kara; she cared for him, maybe even loved him. Alex couldn't be sure, Kara had never said, but the way she was handling his loss made the elder sibling suspect as much. She ran her fingers through Kara's hair, pressing soft kisses as she went, as her tears fell onto blonde locks and slowly the wailing subsided. Kara pulled back, eyes red and blotchy.

"It _hurts_ , Ally."

"I know, sweetie, I know. And I'm so sorry you had to make that choice."

"It was the right choice wasn't it?" Kara asked, voice so soft, so fragile.

"Yeah, it was. But that doesn't mean it hurts any less."

Kara nodded sullenly and slumped back against her chest, fists clenching in her sister's shirt. Alex set her chin on top of her sister's head and rubbed soothing circles on her back, beneath her cape where she knew her sister could feel it.

"Come home with me?" Alex asked quietly, though she was ready to take Kara by force if necessary.

"No, you should be with Maggie tonight." Kara objected weakly.

"Then come home with _us_ , Little Danvers."

Both women looked up to find Maggie kneeling nearby, her face open and caring. Kara glanced at Alex and her big sister nodded that yes, this was what they both wanted. They wanted to care for her and support her and oh, did she need them at the moment. When Kara dipped her head in agreement, they both helped her to her feet but Kara halted when they moved to go back in the DEO.

"I can't go in there, not now..." she shook her head nervously.

"It'll be okay," Alex tried to reassure her. "We'll go straight to the vehicle bay."

"No. I'll fly us."

"Are you feeling up to that?" Alex seemed skeptical and Maggie tried to hide her terror at the suggestion.

"It's not that far...I just need...Please, Ally?"

At the pleading look her sibling wore, Alex caved. "Okay, okay. The streets are probably a nightmare right now anyway. Maggie?"

"Yeah, okay. Let's go before I change my mind."

Kara wrapped a trembling arm around each woman's waist and took shakily to the air.

Alex buried her face in her little sister's neck as they flew, knowing Kara needed the comfort, the familiarity of the gesture meant to reassure because the agent knew the rocky flight they were currently taking would be **NOTHING** compared to the journey ahead.


	3. An Unusual Proposal

As soon as the trio stepped into the apartment, Maggie quickly excused herself to the bathroom and Alex tried hard not to smirk knowingly. Her badass girlfriend, who raced her Triumph on the weekends, couldn't handle five minutes of flying with a superhero. The agents musings were interrupted when Kara stumbled into her and would have fallen to the floor had Alex not caught her.

" _Hey_. Hang on just a little longer, okay sweetie?" She murmured lovingly. "Do you want you the suit on or off?"

"Off." Kara mumbled, eyes closed as she leaned heavily on her sibling.

"Okay. Here we go." Alex knew that when Kara was in this state any little thing could jar her, startle or upset her, so she made sure to talk her sister through every move she was making.

She unclipped the hooks on the girl's cape, letting it fall softly to the floor before she reached for the hidden zipper on the back. "Okay?" She asked again and Kara nodded mechanically. She heard a rustling behind her and turned slightly to find Maggie setting down a pair of soft pajamas and a bowl of warm water with a washcloth.

She mouthed "thank you" as Maggie began moving quietly around the apartment, dimming the lights, turning on soft music. The detective had grown accustomed to helping Alex in these instances and knew that Kara would likely be vulnerable and over stimulated after such a hard day, very nearly on the cusp of a burnout.

When the space was sufficiently calming, she headed to the bathroom to change giving the sister's some much-needed privacy. Maggie knew Alex would strip Kara right where she was, that the younger girl was too far gone to be prodded any further and if left to her own devices she would probably have fallen into bed, boots, suit and all.

Alex waited until the door closed before she began tugging the soiled suit off her sister. Kara sniffed and occasionally whimpered but made no move to assist. Once the suit was at her waist, Alex took the warm washcloth and gently cleaned her sister's face and upper body, balling the blonde's hair up into a loose bun before tugging the rest of the suit off. Kara had managed to kick off her boots when they first arrived but that seemed to be all the help she could offer.

The elder sibling grabbed the pajamas Maggie had left and set to dressing her distressed baby sister. Alex smiled a little when she noted Maggie had brought her old Stanford sweatshirt for Kara to wear having known how the younger Danvers reveled in the security of her big sister nestled into the soft fabric. She fed Kara's arms through the sleeves of the sweatshirt before quickly looping the neck over her sister's head, making sure not to obscure her vision for too long. Next she knelt and tapped her sister's calves, one after the other to prompt her to lift her feet and step into the flannel pants. Alex pulled the pants up as she stood, now face to face with Kara once more.

"Let's get you to bed." She told her softly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Think you can make it?" Kara shook her head dejectedly, leaning harder on her sister.

"Okay. I got you."

Alex looped one of her sister's arms around her neck then bent as she hooked an arm under Kara's knees. She lifted the girl easily, having done this countless times over the years. She was glad Maggie was currently out of sight, as the detective would object to her carrying Kara when she was still healing herself. Alex traversed the steps into her bedroom with practiced ease and laid her sister down gently on the bed. Maggie had already turned back the covers and Alex sent a grateful smile towards the bathroom.

She tucked Kara in and sat on the side of the bed, stroking her sister's hair and murmuring 'I love you's' assuring the young hero that she was safe and loved. Maggie stepped out of the bathroom a few moments later, hair wet, in a tank and boxers, relieved to find the sister's had gotten situated. She approached cautiously because Kara's eyes were closed and she knew the girl was skittish at the moment.

"You wanna get cleaned up?" She asked Alex quietly, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah," Alex answered tiredly, suddenly realizing how exhausted she too felt. "Sit with her?"

"Of course. Touch or presence?" She asked knowing Kara preferred either depending on her state.

"I think just presence for now." Alex responded quietly and Maggie nodded her understanding before swapping places with the agent. Her heart warmed at how well Maggie had acclimated to caring for both her and her sister. "I love you." She whispered, the words meant for both women as she headed to the bathroom.

Alex showered in record time and had left the door cracked because honestly she hadn't showered alone in over a month and the rushing water made her nervous. She knew Maggie could feel her apprehension, relished in the warm embrace the other woman pulled her into as soon as she exited the room.

The pair headed back towards the bed, Alex sliding in first, gently circling her arms around Kara all the while murmuring assurances. Kara shifted towards her and curled against her big sister's chest within moments. For the first time that night, the blonde looked relaxed and peaceful, her exhaustion offering relief from the aching in her young heart. Alex ran her fingers through her sister's hair lovingly, her own heart breaking at the sight of Kara in such pain.

Maggie had turned off the music and most of the lights while Alex had been in the shower and the soft glow of the remaining illumination made Kara look so much younger to the elder sibling. The detective slid in next to Alex and pressed a gentle kiss to the agents exposed shoulder causing Alex to hum in delight.

"Hey, Mags?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"The world almost ended today," Alex whispered in the semi-darkness. "Her _world_ did end." She added tilting her head towards her sleeping sibling.

"I know." Maggie replied with sadness in her voice.

"How do we keep ending up here?"

Alex was hoping Maggie would throw out some snarky, humorous comment to lighten the mood. Instead, the smaller woman curled more tightly against her and the next words she spoke were brutally, unflinchingly honest.

"We lead dangerous, messy lives babe. And at any given moment we can lose someone, like J'onn has, like I have and just like Little Danvers has tonight. But I wouldn't trade it, _any of it_ , because all the craziness we've been through has brought us closer together. I love you. You gave me a _family_ , Ally. So no matter how many times we end up here, no matter the reason, I'll stand by you. I'll stand by _her_."

Alex listened carefully to Maggie's admission, let the woman's words sink into her heart, into her soul and mend the cracks that had been growing there for so long. She felt tears prick her eyes as she snuggled the two women tighter.

"Marry me." She whispered, meaning the words with all her heart.

"What?"

"I said, marry me. _Please_."

"Alex..." Maggie pulled away so she could see her face in the dim lighting. "I love you but I don't think...this is really sudden..."

"You're already a part of this family, you said it yourself. If today has shown me anything it's that we need to kiss the girls we wanna kiss and _marry_ the girls we wanna _marry_. But I only want one girl and that's _you_."

"You getting soft on me, Danvers?" Maggie asked with tears in her eyes. Alex reached up and wiped a stray tear from her face.

"You already know the answer to that. Now I need an answer."

"I...um..."

" _Marry us_ , Maggie." A sleepy voice intoned from the other side of the bed. Both women turned shocked faces towards Kara but she was unaware, eyes still closed.

"Us?" Maggie finally exclaimed with an embarrassed cough. Kara nodded her head against Alex chest, still refusing to fully wake and participate in the conversation.

"Yep. We're a package deal," Kara added, gesturing clumsily between herself and Alex. "We need some good in our lives right now and you guys..." Kara paused for a jaw-popping yawn, "you guys are _great_."

"She makes a valid point." Alex agreed with a watery smile. "We are pretty great together plus we already have a badass couples name! I think 'Sanvers' would look pretty great on matching leather jackets. So?"

Maggie leaned back in, tucking her face into Alex's shoulder to hide her tears as she murmured, "I thought you'd never ask..."

Alex beamed as she tilted her head back to capture Maggie's mouth, her tears mixing with the other woman's. A muffled sound coming from the eldest Danvers chest drew the women's attention.

"What was that Kara?"

"I said, yay, we're getting married." The blonde murmured again, a content smile on her face as she snuggled Alex closer and pulled Maggie's hand until her arm was around both Danvers sisters. Maggie laughed out loud and Alex pressed a grateful kiss to the side of her sister's head.

"Just to be clear," Maggie finally spoke up. "I'm only marrying Alex, _right_?"

" _Technically_ ," both sisters answered together and Maggie's smile grew ever brighter.

"I can live with that." She responded snuggling the two women tighter. "But _first_ , we all need some sleep, especially you Little Danvers. We're here for you."

"I know." Kara drawled. "That's why we're marrying you."

The three snuggled in happily and even though she knew Kara would need time to move forward, Alex was grateful that her sister felt no need to hold her back. Grateful that Kara was still the unselfish, caring girl she'd always been and was willing to share her sister's attention, now it seemed for a lifetime.

 _Rao, help the mister_ , Alex thought with a tired smile, _that comes between me and my sister._


End file.
